


Shifting View

by Lynn_Minoha (Motoko)



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Animals, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Not a death fic, Shapeshifting, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-24
Packaged: 2018-03-16 20:23:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3501638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Motoko/pseuds/Lynn_Minoha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve is a 'Uhane, a human who unites two souls inside his body.<br/>The soul of a human and the soul of an animal, which allows him to change into his animal form. When Danny gets into trouble, Steve has to reveal his true identity in order to protect his partner. But that's only the beginning of it all and in the end Steve faces his biggest fear. He might loose Danny forever...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Secret

**Author's Note:**

> This jumped into my mind without warning and pushed aside all other ideas for upcoming stories. I had to write it down before it went on so here it is. It's not completed yet and I'm not sure if it will become a slash fanfiction with some McDanno. Feel free to leave suggestions. :) 
> 
> Disclaimer: This fanfiction and artwork is purely fanmade. All rights belong to the respective owners.

 

 

If anyone would see him like this, they would call 911 and report an escaped animal from the zoo. But he was so deep in the jungle that he was quite sure no one except him would be here. He was an 'Uhane, some people would call it skin-walker, but Steve didn't care what they called him.

He had been born like this and the first time he had morphed was as a four month old baby. His mother had found his little jaguar cub form so cute that she had taken a bunch of photos. The photos were still in his house, collected in a photograph album.

Since he was a teenager Steve used to go out in the jungle in his animal form, it was relaxing and he felt even closer to the nature as in his human form when he was in the ocean. In his jaguar form he always stayed outside of people's view, despite the fact that being an 'Uhane was not uncommon in Hawaii, but there were so many curious haoles and people in general who would kill him for his fur, no matter if he was a real jaguar or a morphed human.

As Steve got closer to the civilization he morphed back into his human form and picked up the clothes he had hidden in a tree.

Unfortunately morphing from human to jaguar caused the clothes to drop in the spot and remain there, if he turned back he was always naked so he had to be prepared for that.

Steve dressed and walked the distance to his car, then went off to work.

 

Danny was already waiting for him and it appeared that he had called Steve a few times without luck, which was just logical considering that a jaguar didn't have a pocket for his cell phone so Steve had left it in his car... The thing was, Danny knew nothing about Steve's other form, because Steve hadn't told him anything.

He trusted Danny, but didn't want to scare him, which would be the inevitable result if he would tell him or even morph in front of him.

“Where the hell have you been? I've called you a hundred times and left a bunch of messages!”

“Actually there were five missed calls and seven messages.”

“Really? You're gonna do that now? Listen to me. You own a cell phone to pick it up when it rings, okay? Not to ignore it!”

“I was busy.”

“Busy? What's that supposed to mean?”

“It means that I was busy, okay. So why did you call me? Do we have a case?”

“No, I just wanted to ask you which socks I should wear today. Of course we have a case.”

“Then tell me about it.”

“Chin and Kono are already there, I stayed here to pick you up. We have a group of three guys who are known for dealing with arms.

An anonymous tip said there will be a deal in one hour.”

“Let's go.”

 

Steve and Danny arrived a few minutes later at the place where the deal was supposed to happen, which was near the harbor with containers all over the place.

Five-0 positioned and waited. The minutes went by and the silence was only disrupted by the continued ranting of Danny who complained about the missing backup. Steve sighed as his partner started another round of reading him the riot-act of proper police work.

“Danny, we don't need backup. It's just a deal. We will surprise them when they exchanged the arms and money and then book them.”

Danny muttered something in response but stopped his rant and stayed quiet for the rest of the time until six men in black clothes appeared.

Steve gave his commands, telling Kono she should stay in cover and look out for the men with her scope rifle. He had his closed fist up, so they waited until he signaled them with his fingers when they would attack.

“One, two, three, go!”

Two of the dealers were shot in the blink of an eye as they raised their guns, while the buyers tried to run away from the scene, but they didn't get far. One got shot by Kono and the other two were arrested by Steve and Chin. The third dealer fled into the opposite direction, Danny right after him.

“I'll take this one”, he shouted out as he followed the man.

Kono followed their course with her scope rifle, but got no clear field of fire, because they were too fast for her to aim properly.

Suddenly she saw Danny stop, his gun raised, but retreating from something hidden behind a container.

“Steve, Danny seems to be in trouble. He's around a hundred meters ahead of your current position.”

“On my way. Can you tell me what happened?”, Steve answered without being able to keep the worry out of his voice.

“No. He looks terrified, but unharmed. He is pointing his gun on someone or something, but it's behind a container and Danny's retreating from it. You better hurry, because whatever it is it can't be good.”

As Steve got closer he realized he wouldn't be in time if he kept his human form.

His jaguar form was way faster on this distance so in one fluent movement he changed and sprinted towards the direction Danny had went off.

All kind of smells met Steve's nostrils as he got closer. Tension was the one in the foreground but there were also scents of fear and anger.

Suddenly the smell of the perp mixed up with a familiar scent. Steve had first smelled it when he had joined the Navy. It was the scent of a black panther and had belonged to one of his comrades.

Oh no. Steve increased his pace and with one huge leap he tackled the black panther ahead of him. Danny stood beside them, his gun pointed at their direction but Steve ignored it.

He was sure Danny could tell, that this jaguar in front of him attacked the panther in order to protect him, well maybe not sure but he trusted Danny's instincts and he knew Danny never shot anything or anyone without good reason.

Steve hissed in pain as the perp hit him with his sharp claws and tried to bite into his neck. He had no other choice than to retreat from the close combat. The gray eyes of the panther met his blue ones and he growled at the perp.

They couldn't speak with each other in this form, but the growl was easy to understand. Even Danny knew what it meant and stepped back.

Steve was standing between the panther and Danny who smelled like tension, a strong contrast to the rage of the guy in front of him who was longing for blood.

Steve growled deeply and attacked. This time the perp was prepared and tossed Steve away as he almost reached him. Steve hit the ground with a loud thump and rolled to get back on his feet, but the panther already started another attack and Steve wasn't fast enough. Suddenly the loud sound of a gunshot rang in Steve's delicate ears and he lightly growled, because it was more than uncomfortable.

This painful ringing in the ears after a loud noise was one of the few things that he would never get used too.

As he got up he saw the black panther lying in front of him. His breathing slowed down rapidly and within a few seconds he was dead.

The sharp scent of the blood that came from the gunshot wound in the back was all around.

Steve looked up and met Danny's wide eyes, his gun still raised and now pointing at him. Okay, now was definitely the right time to change back, Steve decided.

His partner's legs were shaking and Steve could smell the fear seeping out of every pore. Danny wasn't the shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later type of a guy but Steve wasn't so sure if this would also be the fact when a jaguar stood in front of him.

Steve didn't want to find out so he morphed back. His form was hazy as his fur made way for skin, his bones transformed into human ones and within a few seconds he kneeled on all fours at the ground as Steve McGarrett, the man.

Well, Steve McGarrett without clothes. Another thing he hated. Why couldn't those clothes reappear when he changed back into human form?

He knew they were laying somewhere around the spot where he had morphed. He would have to pick them up later, right now he had other things to worry about.

“Steve?”

Danny sounded like he would faint any second and Steve couldn't really blame him, if he did. He looked up into his partner's wide eyes and gave Danny his goofy smile.

“Hey partner.”

Steve couldn't tell if it was his performance or the fact that he was kneeling naked in front of Danny, but the result was that Danny dropped the gun and sat down on his ass in a not-so-graceful movement. Most likely it was because of both.

“Are you okay?” _Sure thing, Steven. Of course he is okay. A few seconds ago you were a big wild cat, changed in front of him for the very first time and are now sitting here, bare naked. Why would he be anything else than just fine?_

Danny stared at him, his eyes still wide and he seemed speechless.

Steve would have laughed at the rare sight of a still Danny if the other man wouldn't look so terrified.

“It's okay, Danno. It's me, Steve. I know this must freak you out, but I'll explain it to you.”

“Explain...?”

_Great, I scared the hell outta him. This will take some time to explain..._

Steve sighed internally, before he slowly stood up and covered his crotch with his hands, smiling sheepishly at Danny.

“Sorry, I have to pick up my pants. Do you want to wait here?”

“Y-yeah, my legs feel a bit shaky.”

“You're gonna be okay. I'll be back in a minute.”


	2. Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2. Enjoy!

A few hours later Steve sat on the couch in his living room, Danny right next to him and waiting for answers. Getting Danny here in the first place had took Chin and Steve's strong arms to pull Danny from the ground and help him back to the Camaro. Steve had been the one driving, because Danny was still out of himself.

The blonde detective had spent the drive with a furrowed forehead, probably trying to get the events in his head. Steve shifted a bit on the couch to get more comfortable and started to speak.

“What do you want to know?”

Danny looked at him and huffed out his breath.

“How about you start at the basics, kitty cat?”

“Oh great, I managed to leave you speechless and now the first thing you get back is your humor? That's fantastic.”

“Hey, you and that perp scared me half to death so please excuse me for trying to get this into my head and the fact that I was actually right when I called you animal.”

“Okay, first of all, I'm not an animal. I'm an 'Uhane.”

“A what?”

“An 'Uhane, that's the Hawaiian word for Soul or Spirit. It describes pretty well, what we're doing. We combine two souls into one body, the soul of a human and the soul of an animal.”

“You have two souls? How?”

“Yeah, but I don't know how. It's not unusual here and I was born like this.”

“Does that mean Chin and Kono...”

“Have also two souls? Yes, they have. Chin has the soul of an Akita and Kono the one of a White Tiger. Mine is a jaguar. ”

“That's freaky.”

“It's not. Just a bit complicated at some times. As you might have noticed, my clothes drop at the spot where I morph and when I morph back, they still lay there.”

“Ah, so that's why you were playing Tarzan.”

“Very funny. It's embarrassing. Come to work only wearing your underwear and you'll know what I mean.”

“So why are you a jaguar and not something else?”

“Your animal soul depends on your personality, but also on the souls of your parents. My father was a jaguar and my mother was a fox.

Oh and before you ask. Mary is not an 'Uhane.”

“She's not?”

“No, even if both parents are an 'Uhane that doesn't necessarily make the children one too. It also works in the opposite way.

Neither of the parents have to be an 'Uhane, but if the child has a strong personality it can be one.”

“I see. Anything else I need to know? Are you immortal?”

Steve laughed.

“No, having two souls doesn't mean I have a doubled lifespan. Basically it's just the bonus of morphing into your animal form whenever you want and getting its advantages. In my case, very good hearing and smelling. Well, most of the time it's pretty useful, but a gunshot is kinda uncomfortable with this hearing.”

“Oh sorry for hurting your fluffy little ears. No need to thank me, I just saved your life.”

“Thanks, but there was no reason to save my life, I would have kicked that panthers ass”, Steve responded and gave Danny a playfully pouting face.

“I really don't want to destroy your illusion, but in fact the panther perp kicked your kitty ass.”

Steve and Danny looked at each other and started laughing.

“True and it seems like you got another nickname for me.”

“Yeah and I like it.”

“Oh, you do? Well, then bring it, Danno.”

“Better be careful, because I will.”

Steve just smiled goofy in reply and patted Danny's shoulder.

 

The next days were quiet and everyone except Danny hoped for a new case because the native Jersey cop kept asking questions.

Kono had given in at some point and had morphed so Danny could marvel over her white tiger form.

She wandered around at HQ, accidentally scared the hell out of a visitor, hissed at Danny who softly pulled at her long tail partly out of curiosity and partly of cockiness and then settled down at his feet when he apologetically ruffled her soft white fur behind the ears. A soft noise made Danny look up and stare at Steve.

“She is purring.”

Steve laughed at the stunned statement of his partner.

“That's her favorite spot. My mother used to fondle me there too when I was in my animal form. It's nice.”

“Can Kono understand what we're saying?”

A soft growl over the purring was the answer.

“Sorry, Kono, I didn't mean to offend you. That's just so new and still kinda odd for me. You can change back when you want by the way, though I have to admit you're really attractive and lovely in this form.”

A soft tail gently curled around Danny's foot and he slightly laughed.

Maybe he would get used to this after all, he thought and smiled at Steve who thought the exact same thing as he watched his friends.

 

Later at the same day

The team members of Five-0 sat around a table in the HQ, eating pizza that Chin had bought for all of them. Kono was back to her human form and joked with Danny about her white tiger soul.

“Do you eat mice when you're a tiger?”

Kono grimaced in disgust and playfully hit Danny on the shoulder.

“Ugh, no! Would you eat them if you were me?”

Danny laughed loudly and shook his head then took a bite from his pizza.

“Thought so.” Kono joined his laughing.

Danny turned his head around and shared a look with them all.

“So how do I imagine this thing with morphing and the speaking? You can't talk but think like a human?”

Chin nodded.

“Yeah, we can't speak in our animal form, but on the inside we have the thoughts of a human. People who are not aware that 'Uhane exist would describe us as acting strangely when they see us outside in our animal forms. A white tiger who doesn't eat raw flesh for example is considered weird. That's the reason why we keep it a secret from others.”

“Not to mention that some unscrupulous people would not hesitate to kill us. The fur of a white tiger is valuable”, Kono added bitterly.

Danny shivered if he just thought of Kono getting killed and skinned.

“I won't tell anyone, guys.”

Steve smiled apologetically.

“We knew you would say that. We only kept it a secret from you, because I was sure it would freak you out. Guess I was right after all.”

“Thanks for your consideration, but I'm fine kitty cat.”

Chin and Kono looked from Danny to Steve who smirked in amusement and they both bursted out laughing.

“Kitty cat? I have to remember this one”, Chin said and wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes.

“I like it. It's catchy”, said Kono with a bright smile.

 

The team bantered for another hour as the peaceful atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of Steve's phone. Steve picked up the call and Danny looked at him, silently waiting for any information, because he had a bad feeling this call would bring them trouble in form of a new case. Steve's next sentence confirmed his thoughts.

“Okay, we're on the way.”

“We've got a new case?”, Chin asked.

“Kind of. It seems our dealer friends have another warehouse full of arms.”

“Seriously?” Danny groaned and earned a sympathetic smile from the others.

“Yes and we can expect some resistance, because they were acting in two separate groups, each one with three people.”

“Great, two take downs in one week. Please tell me the governor gave us a free weekend as a reward”, Danny muttered.

“Sorry Danno.”

“I knew it. Guess I'll have to take a bullet in order to get some free days.”

“Hey, don't do that, man. I don't want to listen to your rants if you get shot and have to stay at the hospital. Besides don't scare me like that.”

Kono and Chin nodded in agreement and Danny sighed, but approved.

“Alright, I got it. It's not an option. Now let's go, maybe the governor will change his mind if we're working fast.”

Steve laughed.

“You're not giving up, babe.”

“I can at least dream, right?”

“Right”, Steve smirked and went ahead.

 

A few minutes later they arrived at the warehouse. It was completely inconspicuous from the outside which explained why it had took so long to find out there were some illegal transactions going on.

Steve and Chin were at the front door, while Danny and Kono waited at the back exit for the command to enter.

It was harder to get into the warehouse than they imagined because despite the fact that they were four against three, the guys had an insane amount of arms on hand.

Right after they followed Steve's command and barged in, the gunfire started and forced them to seek cover.

Danny had hit one perp when he had left his cover for a few seconds, but the other two were still shooting like hell. Steve got trapped behind some barrels that barely gave him any cover and it wasn't looking good for him, because Chin got hit at his shoulder and couldn't leave his position without being shot while Kono and Danny were busy keeping the bad guys off themselves.

Steve spoke to Chin through his headset.

“Chin, how bad is it?”

“One hit on the left shoulder, it went through. I'm gonna be fine.”

Steve could hear the pain in Chin's voice but he couldn't help him right now so he concentrated on keeping himself from being shot even though it frustrated him not being able to do anything.

“I'm running out of ammo”, Danny cursed silently and changed the magazine.

There was only one left and if this crazy gunfire would keep going like this it wouldn't last long. Kono muttered something pretty unladylike and agreed to Danny.

“We need some kind of distraction.”

“Danny, are you crazy? If we leave cover we will drop dead to the floor in the blink of an eye.”

“I know”, Danny grunted and ducked when another salve of gunfire went off.

“But we won't last any longer like this.”

“What do you want to to?”

“Improvise.”

Kono huffed out a laugh.

Danny waited until the gunfire ceased a bit but before he could do anything he saw Steve leaving his cover. He should've known the stupid SEAL wouldn't sit still for too long if they were in such a situation, but leaving cover and walking towards the bad guys without any protection...not in his worst dreams Danny had thought of this possibility. Danny cursed violently and left his own cover, shooting at the guys who were distracted by Steve. They both went down and Danny huffed out the breath he had been holding.

“That was the most reckless, craziest and dumbest thing you have ever done, McGarrett. It's official now. You have a death wish.”

Just as the last sentence left Danny's mouth he saw in the corner of his eye that one perp stood up fast and pointed a gun at Steve who stared at the perp, unable to get his own gun in time.

In the next moment Danny ran to Steve and launched himself on him to knock Steve over, when suddenly his view shifted and before he even understood what was going on, he felt a sharp pain in his side and a sound of pure agony filled the air.

For a second everything went black and when he came back to his senses he could make out the ground with his blurry vision and that he was lying on it. He could hear Steve crying out his name and Danny turned his head to look at him.

His view was hazy, but he could see the terrified look in Steve's eyes, telling him that something was terribly wrong.


	3. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the cliffhanger on this one. Chapter 4 is currently in production and will be uploaded within the following week. :) Any suggestions or guesses how this will continue are welcome. Let me know what you think. ;)

Steve's heart raced as he watched the guy getting up fast and pointing his gun at him. There was no time to react, no time to duck or find protection behind something. Steve knew the bullet would hit him any second.

He closed his eyes, silently waiting for the impact and the sharp pain when the bullet would tear through his flesh.

He heard the click of the trigger and waited, but the pain never hit him. Instead he heard a sharp yelp and was knocked over by something.

Another gunshot and Steve watched the guy falling boneless to the ground, Kono standing a few meters aside of him, her gun still raised.

Steve nodded at her then looked around, trying to localize Danny and curious to find out where that yelp had come from.

He stood up, his view wandering to the right, when he suddenly heard a whimper on his left. He turned and almost dropped to his knees.

Next to some metal pieces and other trash lay a wolf. His fur was white like snow, but it was bright red on his side from blood coming out of a bullet wound. Steve stepped closer and kneeled down to the injured creature.

“Danny?”

His voice was a hoarse whisper, but the wolf raised his head and returned his look with familiar blue eyes.

“Oh god. It **is** you.”

The wolf made a whining sound, let his head drop and breathed in shallowly.

Steve hurried to get his shirt off and folded it just a bit before he pressed it hard onto the bullet wound.

Danny yelped in pain and jerked, trying to escape from the man who hurt him even more. His mind was confused. He had no idea what happened and just wanted to curl and wait until the pain would pass.

“Danny, stop fighting me. You got shot, stay still.”

Danny whimpered and wanted to struggle, but he felt weak and exhausted so he obeyed.

“Steve?”

“Over here!”, Steve shouted and looked up from Danny's form.

When Chin and Kono approached, he gave them commands.

“Danny got shot. Chin, call an ambulance and inform Dr. Keona we have an emergency. Kono, I need your help.”

“Oh my god. He morphed? It all happened so fast that I didn't see it.”

“Yeah. I bet he is as surprised as us, he seems pretty out of himself and the bullet wound is taking its toll on him. He lost a lot of blood and fought me when I tried to stop the bleeding. He is getting weaker by the minute. We need to get him into a hospital as soon as possible.”

Kono nodded when she saw the blood on Steve's hands and the fur that was also soaked with blood.

“Got it. Let me check his vitals, while you continue pressing on the wound.”

Kono touched one of Danny's hindleg, but he flinched and tried to pull it out of her grip, while making a distressed sound.

Steve rearranged his pressure when Danny shifted underneath his hands.

“Hey, it's okay, babe. We're just trying to help you, calm down. You'll be fine.”

The white wolf's attempts to escape weakened and Steve watched worriedly as his partner's life faded with each bit of blood that he couldn't stop from seeping out of the wound.

Kono gently stroked the small ears of the wolf and carefully touched his hindleg again, once she could feel that he had calmed down a bit.

“Danny, can you hear me? It's me, Kono. Steve is here too. Hang on, help's on the way.”

Kono felt for the pulse and frowned when she felt it rapidly under her fingers.

“His pulse is fast and skips a few beats, I can't tell if it's because of the blood loss and that he's going into shock or the fact that he's scared like hell”, she said with a low voice towards Steve who shared a worried look with her.

Chin had called the EMS and just a few minutes later, each one of them Steve and Kono had spent speaking soothingly to Danny and keeping him with them, the raising sirens told them they arrived. Chin brought the two EMS to Danny.

“What do we have?”

“Gunshot wound in the abdomen”, Steve answered.

“That's a wolf”, stated the male paramedic and stepped back, he seemed pretty young and Steve couldn't help but wonder if he was even qualified to do this job.

“If you cannot help me here, then attend to this man, he looks injured too”, the female EMT told her colleague with a nod to Chin and then turned to Steve.

“I assume he or she is an 'Uhane?”, the female EMT asked.

Steve nodded, grateful that at least one of them knew how to deal with this.

“He's my partner, his name is Danny and he changed for the first time. He didn't know about being an 'Uhane so he's terrified and it was difficult to calm him down.”

“Okay, can you tell me if he's allergic to anything? I might have to sedate him to keep him calm once he's in the ambulance.”

“Nothing that I know of.”

“Okay. I'll get him on an IV with saline to keep his blood pressure stable but he may need a blood transfusion when we arrive to the hospital, because of the amount I can see he has lost so we can compensate his blood loss. Please keep up the pressure on his wound for another minute.”

Steve nodded and did as we was told while Kono moved to Danny's head and continued stroking his soft ears.

“You're gonna be fine, Danny”, she whispered when Danny whimpered lightly.

Steve felt like he couldn't breath. Seeing Danny like this, vulnerable, terrified

and badly injured was almost unbearable. He tried to concentrate on his task, but watching the blood seeping out of the wound despite his efforts was even worse.

The young female EMT worked fast, attached the IV in no time and with her colleagues help, who had treated Chin in the meantime, applied a bandage around the wolf's waist so the bleeding would slow down.

“Let's get him into the ambulance.”

Steve followed them, but was stopped at the ambulance.

“I need space to work on your partner.”

“No offense, but I've known him for several years now and he won't stay still if there's not someone familiar beside him. Of course you can heavily sedate him, but it's easier to just let me stay at his side. I promise I won't get in your way.”

“Okay, get in. We need to hurry.”

Kono told Steve they would meet at the hospital and closed the doors of the ambulance, signaling with a knock on the doors that it was ready to go.

 

Dr. Keona already awaited them at the hospital and immediately took over and brought Danny into the OR.

Ailana Keona was a young female doctor and was specialized in treating 'Uhane people. Her decision to specialize was partly influenced by the fact that she was an 'Uhane herself. She had once been captured by some poacher in her lion form and got rescued by Five-0 and since then was their first address whenever they needed medical assistance. Ailana was grateful for her rescue and got along great with the Five-0 members, a relationship which soon turned into friendship.

Steve had once told her that Danny was a normal human and didn't know about their secret so she had agreed to stay quiet. Now she was even more surprised that Chin had called, telling her that they brought an emergency and that it was Danny.

He had morphed into a wolf, accidentally if she got Chin right on the telephone and that Danny couldn't change back on his own. Ailana had a team at her hospital that was used to 'Uhane so she tried to gather as much of them together so she wouldn't have to deal with people fainting, if the EMT brought a wolf into the hospital.

Sad but true that even though 'Uhane were not uncommon in Hawaii, some people couldn't deal with them and were useless in any situation In which the patient changed into an animal. Fainting nurses that hit the ground one after the other like a domino effect were the least problem.

 

A few hours later Ailana walked out of the OR and went straight to the waiting room, because she knew she would find Steve and the others sitting there or walking around nervously.

Steve was indeed on his feet and looked tense, while Chin and Kono sat on two chairs. When Ailana approached Steve stopped and looked at her.

The look in his eyes touched Ailana. She could tell how much he cared for Danny and that he was deeply worried about his partner. When Chin and Kono stood up and joined them, Dr. Keona started to talk.

“Don't worry, Danny will be fine. The surgery went well and I'm positive he will make a full recovery. He lost a lot of blood which caused his blood pressure to drop alarmingly but we gave him some blood units and he is already looking better. What he needs now is a lot of rest and you to be with him. As far as I could tell he was absolutely terrified about his state when he arrived here, so it's best if there's someone familiar around him when he wakes up. I asked a nurse to prepare a private room for him and put in an additional bed so one of you can stay with him. I don't want him to be alone like this.

Since you said he morphed out of instinct it might be complicated for him to change back.”

“Thanks, Ailana. You saved his life.”

Steve hugged her and she patted his shoulder.

“It's fine. To be honest, I've never seen such a beautiful wolf. Danny is pretty handsome in this form and he is a fighter.”

Steve nodded and smiled.

“Yeah you're right, he is a fighter.”

 

A few days later

Steve had taken turns with Chin and Kono. Each one of them had stayed with Danny in his private hospital room for at least one night and day. Danny was recovering and Dr. Keona, who visited every day and examined him was satisfied with his fast improving. After one day of intensive rest he had been able to stand up and walk around. The second day he had started to eat some small and light dishes like chicken.

Danny seemed a lot better, but Steve could tell that he was distressed about his state. He understood that he had morphed into a wolf, but he seemed not happy about it and even less thrilled about the fact that he couldn't morph back on his own account. Not to mention the fact that he had no idea how to control his fluffy tail, that kept hitting things off from the tables or punching people until they were green and blue and looked like they had lost a boxing match. Steve had tried to coach him, explaining it would take some time and training and also tried to calm Danny down, because he knew stress wouldn't do anything good. Danny needed to be calm and allow his nature to take over.

This task would've been complicated enough with a human Danny, but telling a wolf he needed to take deep breaths and shouldn't try to force anything was like talking with a wall, it ended up with no effect.

After another pointless explanation of Steve and a failed try from Danny to even morph a paw into a foot they sat on the ground looking into each others eyes.

Danny seemed desperate and sad, like he was about to give up and try to get used to the fact that he would spend the rest of his life as a white fuzz ball with an uncontrollable tail.

“Hey, buddy. Don't worry, you will change back. It just takes some time.”

Danny barely looked at Steve and tolerated that Steve fondled his ears in an attempt to comfort him.

Just in this moment Ailana joined them and chuckled when she saw the plastic vase laying on the ground beside the table.

“Another try that didn't work out so well?”

Steve sighed and nodded.

“Yeah. I don't know what it is, but Danny has a lot of trouble. He just can't morph.”

Dr. Keona approached and gently stroke Danny's fur.

“Why don't you take a break? I'm sure it would be good for both of you.”

“What if he needs a trigger like the one when that perp wanted to shoot me?”

“Hey are you listening to- Wait, what?! You don't plan to go out and get yourself shot, right?”

A growl made them look at Danny who bared his teeth at Steve.

“Looks like he is not agreeing with you.”

“He never agrees with me”, replied Steve with his goofy smile that suddenly faded when he saw Danny's wolf form becoming hazy.

It took longer than Steve needed to morph but somehow Danny managed to morph into his human form. A minute later he sat naked in front of Steve, sweating, shivering and put one hand on his abdomen while he grimaced in pain.

“This sucks”, he whispered before he collapsed to the ground.


	4. Training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank everyone who gave kudos and/or reviewed my stories so far. I'm really grateful for the support.   
> Here's chapter 4 for you. Chapter 5 will be uploaded soon. :) Enjoy!

Danny had scared the hell out of Steve with his morph and then collapsing, but Steve couldn't help but smile when he thought of the perfect timing of his partner. Just as he was about to think of something he could do to trigger Danny's instincts he had morphed to stop him from doing so.

Dr. Keona had immediately taken care of Danny and examined him thoroughly to make sure he didn't injured himself, but the stitches were still in place and he was doing well. The morph had exhausted him and caused him pain that would last for a couple of hours. Ailana knew he would feel sore when he woke up so she gave him a shot for the pain. The first few times morphing was uncomfortable and he would have to get used to it.

She changed the bandage and left the boys alone, telling Steve she will stop by later to see how Danny was doing. Steve sat on his partner's bedside, waiting for him to wake up. Almost an hour later he watched Danny's eyes flicker and slowly open.

“Welcome back, Danno.”

Danny groaned.

“Wha' happened?”

“You scared me half to death when you took that bullet for me. I should thank you for saving my life.”

“I got shot? When I said maybe I should get shot to get some free days, it was actually meant as a joke. I can't believe it really happened.”

“Be careful what you wish for.”

Danny huffed out a laugh and regretted it immediately when a pain hit him in his abdomen. He gave Steve a reassuring smile as he noticed his partner's worried look.

“I'm fine, stop worrying, you big goof. Oh and besides, I didn't wish for it, kitty cat.”

“So you remember this?”, Steve asked as Danny emphasized his new nickname.

“Of course I do. I didn't get shot in the head, though I have to admit that my mind is a bit cloudy. Why did I dream that I was a wolf?”

“It wasn't a dream. You morphed when you knocked me over and just changed back about an hour ago. Which reminds me to ask you, how are you feeling?”

“Just peachy”, Danny replied and carefully shifted a bit in the bed.

“My whole body is sore and the good stuff seems to be wearing off.”

“Let me get Dr. Keona”, Steve said, stood up and left the room.

He came back a few minutes later, Dr. Keona ahead of him.

“Hey Danny, how are you feeling?”

“Hello Dr. Keona. Well, pretty sore to be honest.”

“Just Ailana is fine. You're now in the club too.”

“What club?”

Ailana shared a look with Steve who whispered something to her about being mindful because this was still new for Danny.

“I'm an 'Uhane too. Remember the case with the captured lion?”

“How could I forget it? We got called because of a murder and found a lion in the basement.”

“Well actually, that was me. Steve asked me to stay quiet about it so you wouldn't freak out. I'm sorry for keeping it a secret.”

“It's fine. I think I might get used to this whole thing.”

“Wow, that coming out of your mouth. What happened?”

Steve sat down on the chair beside Danny's bed and looked curiously at him.

“Let's just say this thing with the ears, it does feel nice. Which doesn't mean I will morph anytime soon if I can avoid it, because the soreness afterwards sucks”, Danny added when Steve started smiling goofy.

“I can help with that”, Ailana said and gave Danny a shot that soon seemed to take effect as he relaxed.

“Oh and I agree on the morphing thing. You shouldn't morph until your wound is completely healed because it could rip the stitches or even reopen the wound. You had luck this time. But once the wound has healed you should learn to morph on your will. The soreness will be part of it at first but after a few times it won't appear again.”

“I will teach you how to morph and give you advise on what you have to think of. I'm looking forward to be your trainer.”

“Oh great”, Danny sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Hey, no excuses. You really need to learn how to control that tail”, Steve argued and unconsciously stroke his thigh were Danny's tail had hit him and left a bruise.

Ailana smiled at them and waved at Danny who smiled back, before she left to look after her other patients.

 

Danny's wound healed nicely and just a few days later he was discharged from the hospital. They had decided to live together at Steve's place for a little while so they could work on Danny's new life as an 'Uhane.

It took Steve only two days to make Danny really upset. Steve had forced him to morph at least twice a day into a wolf so Danny would get used to it and learn how to change of his own will instead of instinct and now the detective was barely able to move a limb without hissing in pain.

“Did I mention that you're a horrible trainer and that I hate you?”

Danny groaned as he sat down on the couch, stretching his legs who felt stiff and kinda numb.

Steve who stood in front of Danny with his arms crossed just rolled his eyes.

“Yes, Daniel you did. Actually you just said it for the fifth time, not to mention the ten times from yesterday, which means you're a bit behind.

It's already 5 PM.”

Steve ducked and escaped the pillow that Danny threw at him, which wasn't so hard, because his partner couldn't aim properly anymore.

“Hey listen, just be grateful that the governor gave you a full week off-duty for this.

If you accidentally morphed in the middle of a gunfire again, it could end worse than the last time.”

“Thanks, I know that but why do I have to morph twice a day? This is torture”, Danny replied and pointed with his hands at his body.

“Ouch, dammit.”

Steve laughed, as Danny wailed in sheer frustration.

“Okay, stop moving Danno. How about morphing into your wolf form once more and get some rest outside on the Ianai? The sand there is warm and it would relax your stiff muscles.”

“And get all the sand in my white fur? No, thank you.”

“You can morph back after it and take a shower or you stay in your wolf form and I brush the sand out of your fur. How does that sound?”

“Too good to be true. What happened to the tough Navy SEAL who put me under military training?”

“It wasn't military training, Danno. Now, do you want to morph twice or me with the big soft brush?”

“You're making a dog out of me, McGarrett.”

Steve smiled goofy in reply and gave Danny a interrogative look.

“Don't look at me like that, kitty cat. You already know the answer.”

The SEAL laughed and agreed to Danny with a nod, because he did know his friends preference.

 

Danny had morphed like Steve had suggested and curled up on the beach that had been warmed by the sun. The soft and warm sand was soothing his aching muscles and brought relief. Just a few minutes later Danny had fallen asleep on the Ianai, not noticing that Steve had morphed too and lay down beside him to watch Danny in his sleep.

Steve knew he was pushing Danny and maybe even brought him to his limits but he wouldn't do it if he wasn't sure Danny could deal with it. Ailana had been right when she had said that his partner was a fighter. Steve had seen Danny's skills when they had first met and made him his partner, because he knew that Danny was a great cop and an even greater man. His sense of justice was similar to Steve's and he was always willing to put his life on the line to protect the ones he loved.

Just a few days ago he had proved his loyalty again. The least Steve could do was to help out his partner in this situation and make sure Danny would be able to control his new ability.

Danny looked peaceful and Steve smiled internally as he watched the wolf taking deep breaths. Steve allowed himself to nap a bit and enjoyed the warm sun on his back.

He woke up half an hour later and stared into two blue eyes, which startled him and he couldn't help but jerk back. Danny was standing in front of him and tilted his head, even in his wolf form he looked amused. Steve growled lightly because he got surprised by his friend. He stood up and shook the sand out of his fur then headed back to the house.

Danny sat on the Ianai and waited until Steve got back. The SEAL had morphed back and was dressed with loose pants and a tee shirt.

As promised Steve had brought a brush.

“You should shake a bit, first”, he suggested when he took a closer look at Danny's fur which was rather sandy than white.

Danny did as he was told and then sat in front of Steve, who couldn't hold back a smirk, because Danny really looked like a dog in this situation.

A sudden tug on his leg brought him back to the situation and he realized that Danny was pulling on his pants with his teeth.

“Hey, stop that, Danno.” Steve tried to get free but Danny was strong and almost made the other man fall.

“Okay, okay I got it. Come here.”

Steve laughed and held out a hand then gently patted Danny's head when he came closer.

“How did you know what I was thinking?”

Danny gave him a light growl in response and made Steve chuckle, because he could hear Danny's answer as a human.

“ _It's not so hard as you might think to guess your thoughts, big goof.”_

“Smart ass. I suppose you know me pretty well by now.”

Danny pressed himself in Steve's touch and admired the big hands of his friend that gently caressed his ears, this spot was indeed nice he thought. Steve continued to comfort Danny then went on to his main task and started to brush the white wolfs fur. Danny made a soft sound that showed his appreciation.

“It's not so bad being a wolf, huh?”, Steve teased playfully.

Danny blinked at him, which was his way to agree.

At first he had thought he wouldn't agree so easily to this whole thing, but Steve was right.

There were worse things than being able to morph into a wolf.


	5. Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the cliffhanger. Chapter 6 will be uploaded in the next few days. :) 
> 
> If anyone wonders if this is a deathfic or wants to make sure before continue reading: I'll leave it in the end notes of this chapter. :)

They had dinner and then went to the couch to watch a football match on TV. Danny was curled up on the couch right next to Steve who fed him some popcorn.

Yeah, Danny felt a bit like a dog with Steve as his master, but if he was honest to himself this felt too good to not live it up and he had earned it with all this training during the last two days. Five days were ahead of them and Danny was sure, Steve had already planned some things, so why not enjoying it while it lasted?

“Are you asleep?”

Steve's question startled him and he looked up and shook his head.

“You are so quiet.”

_Very funny, Steven. Very funny._ Danny slightly growled in reply and shifted a bit to get back into a comfortably position.

“Danno, you know what I mean. You were growling all the time when your favorite team was behind and since a few minutes ago you're completely silent. I just asked if you fell asleep.”

Steve didn't receive an answer so he tried again.

“Are you okay, babe?”

Danny looked up at him again and blinked. When Steve didn't seem to be convinced he put his snout under his friends hand and pushed it slightly.

Steve smiled.

“Okay, I got it. I was just a bit worried I overdid the training and you were angry with me now.”

The soft noise that Danny made sounded amused and calmed Steve.

When the match was over and Danny's favorite team had lost the boys went to bed, Steve in his own bedroom, Danny in the guestroom.

When Danny looked to the bed, Steve laughed and assured him that he was allowed to sleep in the bed in his wolf form.

Danny curled up on the bed and it only took him a few minutes to be fast asleep.

 

A loud crashing sound woke Danny up and he looked around confused. Then he heard fighting sounds coming from downstairs. He jumped out of the bed and went down to the living room. When he arrived at the last step he saw Steve lying on the floor, holding his neck and head while his face grimaced in pain. Danny could smell his partner's blood and it made him angry. A man completely dressed in black and wearing a mask was leaning over Steve and held something in his hands. He looked like he was going to kill him. Danny didn't hesitate and ran towards the perp.

“Danny, no!”

Steve shouted out to him, but Danny didn't listen. He attacked the perp, bit him in the arm and growled dangerously. The man screamed as his arm started to bleed heavily and tried to get away from the wolf but it was useless, Danny didn't let go.

Steve groaned in pain as he tried to get up and help Danny. He slumped back to the ground unable to steady himself or get the blurriness out of his sight.

Danny got hit several times by the perp's fist in his side and he reflexively opened his jaw a bit. It was enough for the perp to get his arm free and hurl the wolf away from him. Danny hit the wall with a loud thump and a yelp then he fell to the ground, lying on the floor and trying to get up, but one of his front paws seemed to be broken. Steve was forced to watch helplessly as the perp walked towards Danny and raised his weapon. It was a baton and Steve had already made contact with it, his aching head and the bleeding was proof enough.

He groaned and tried to stand up again, but it was no use.

“Get away from him!” The perp ignored Steve and hit Danny hard on his side with the baton. The wolf jerked and yelped in pain.

“Danny!”

Steve bit his lip and stared with horror as his partner was brutally beaten by the perp. The loud screams of pure agony almost covered the sound of breaking bones, but Steve could hear them both and it made him feel like someone ripped his heart out. After a few minutes that seemed like an eternity to Steve, Danny's screams faded into low whimpers. Steve gathered his strength and pushed the pain aside. When the perp noticed that Steve got up, he let go of Danny and ran away.

“Danny!”

Steve stumbled to his partner who was only a few meters away and fell to his knees beside him, while the perp used his chance to flee.

Steve didn't care, his only concern was the white wolf in his living room who didn't respond.

“Danny, please. Wake up, buddy. Danny.”

Steve carefully touched Danny's neck to see if it was broken.

When he found the neck uninjured he checked for Danny's pulse and if he was breathing. To Steve's relief he did, but Danny was wheezing and the pulse was rapid.

“Come on, Danno. Wake up. Look at me. Please, babe.”

A soft whimper made Steve's heart flutter. Danny opened his eyes and looked at Steve. He didn't raise his head and almost closed his eyes again, but when Steve touched him and told Danny to stay with him the wolf weakly obeyed.

“Stay awake. You hear me, Danny? Stay with me. I'll get help, okay?”

With these words, Steve stood up and left Danny's side. He could barely stand straight but somehow he managed to get to the phone and call Chin.

It took a few rings until the man picked up.

“Steve? Is something wrong?” Chin sounded sleepy, but there was no time for small talk or apologies for the call at nighttime.

“Chin, someone broke into my house. Danny got badly injured. We need an ambulance and HPD, now. The perp can't be far, Danny bit him in the arm.”

Steve could tell that Chin was wide awake now when he heard his voice again.

“On the way. I'll inform Kono. We'll be there in ten. Are you injured too?”

“Might have a concussion.”

“Okay, two EMS then. Can you take care of Danny until we get there?”

“Yeah. See you in ten.”

Steve ended the call and got back to Danny, but what he saw scared the hell out of him. There was no white wolf lying on the floor anymore, but Danny in his human form.

“No, Danny, no. Why did you morph?”

Steve grabbed a blanket and wrapped it loosely around Danny's private parts so he could conserve his pride.

“Can't talk as...a wolf. I need you....to take care of Grace...for me.”

“No such talk, Danno. You gotta stay with me.”

“Stev'.”

“No. I'm not letting you die, you hear me?”

“I know. Thank you.”

“Hey, stay awake Danny. Don't close your eyes.”

Danny stiffened and Steve stared worriedly at him. When Danny started to cough, Steve carefully lifted his partner's upper body, but then something caught his attention and he gasped in horror. Danny had coughed up blood.

Steve had seen men with internal injuries at the field and he knew how dangerous internal bleeding was. If it was not treated in time it ultimately led to death.

A soft wheezing sound made Steve look up.

Danny smiled at him and it felt so wrong at this time that Steve couldn't stop the tears from building in his eyes.

“It's okay.” Danny's voice was only a whisper and Steve felt like he would suffocate.

He couldn't speak, even though there were so many words to say. Maybe this was his last chance. He violently shook his head and ignored the throbbing pain in his head.

“No”, he croaked out.

“Please, Danny. You have to stay with me.”

“I'm trying, Steve.”

Danny closed his eyes and this time Steve couldn't get him to open them again.

Steve heard the approaching sirens of the EMS, but all he really noticed was Danny's body turning limp in his arms.

 

Two paramedics carefully pulled the SEAL away from Danny and treated his head injury. They asked him questions but Steve barely listened to them, he kept concentrating on his partner who was surrounded by two paramedics and a police officer that Steve couldn't identify.

One of the EMT placed an oxygen mask over Danny's mouth and nose while the other palpated his upper body. Steve could tell that something was wrong when they shared a serious look and he couldn't keep still anymore. He stood up, shook off the male EMT that tried to stop him and went straight back to Danny.

He was supposed to be on Danny's side and nowhere else.

Suddenly two feet stepped in his way and a strong hand landed on Steve's shoulder.

“Steve, there's nothing you can do for him right now. Tell me what happened. We need to get the one who did this to Danny.”

Steve raised his sight and looked at Duke. For a moment he wanted to argue with the older man, but deep inside he knew that Duke was right.

“I woke up and wanted to drink a glass of water so I walked downstairs. Then I saw someone wandering around here, like he was searching for something. I knew it wasn't Danny because he had morphed and stayed in his wolf form, so I wanted to catch the intruder.” Duke nodded.

He wasn't an 'Uhane himself, but many of his best men where and he was more than used to it, so the team had told him about Danny.

“It ended up in a fight and Danny must have heard it, because he attacked the perp and bite him in the arm, which caused quite an injury and some blood loss. The perp could flee but he needs medical attention with this injury or he will faint, so he can't be far.”

“Okay, don't worry. We'll get him.”

“Steve!”

The SEAL turned around just in time to wrap his arms around Kono who was storming in, Chin right behind her. They glanced worriedly at Danny and the paramedics that stabilized him for the transport.

When they stood up and carried Danny to the ambulance, Steve followed them.

“Commander, I'm sorry, but you can't come with us. He has internal injuries and we need to hurry. We're bringing him to Tripler.”

Steve was afraid to ask this question but he had to.

“Will he make it?”

The EMT hesitated before he answered.

“I don't know. I'm sorry.”

With those words they took off from the scene and left Steve behind. Chin and Kono stood by his side, but they were just as anxious as him.

No one of them wanted to believe that maybe this time they would lose Danny forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILER: 
> 
> Only read this if you want to know how this fic will end. 
> 
> ... ... ... 
> 
> This will not be death fic. I won't include major character or minor character death.


	6. Resting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait everyone. Chapter 7 was not that easy to write because I felt kinda distracted. It's now finished and finally ready for beta-reading. The next chapter will also be the last one, means this story is finished then. Thank you everyone who gave kudos to this and a big thanks to the reviewers. A bit more whump in here but finally some comfort as well. The boys need it. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

The remaining paramedics finally got to examine Steve when he lost his balance and was carefully guided to the ground by Chin and Kono.

They diagnosed a concussion that needed professional assessment in the hospital. The EMT knew better than trying to separate Steve and Danny again so the SEAL was also brought to Tripler. The cousins followed the ambulance with their cars.

It took some time until the doctors had finished their tests and Steve was settled in a room and ready for visitors. Chin and Kono joined him and waited together for news on Danny. All they knew was that Danny had been brought straight in the OR and that Dr. Keona was with him, which was cold comfort considered the words from the EMT earlier. Steve was really worried and tense like he would jump out of the bed any second. Chin talked to him in an attempt to calm him down while Kono held Steve's hand and squeezed it lightly.

“Chin is right, Steve. There's nothing we can do now, but you need to rest. Your doctor said your reputation precedes you and we should make sure you stay here. Danny is strong, he will make it.”

Steve swallowed thickly and tried to convince himself, but he couldn't get the pictures out of his head no matter how hard he tried.

“Stop thinking about it”, Chin said with his calm voice, noticing Steve's discomfort.

“I should've helped Danny, but all I could do was watch the perp beating him. I was so helpless.”

“It's not your fault. You got hit pretty badly. The doctors confirmed that you have a nasty concussion and they are impressed that you were standing so long before it finally got to you.”

“He saved my life twice in such a short time, Kono. How can I compensate him for this?”

“Besides the fact that Danny never asks for anything in return, do what we always do, be there for him. We're Ohana, I'm sure he agrees with me”, she answered gently and smiled reassuringly.

Steve nodded while he silently prayed that she was right and Danny would be okay, because losing him would be unbearable.

 

Despite Chin and Kono's efforts Steve stayed awake. He preferred to fight his body which demanded the highly needed rest instead of missing the minute when Dr. Keona would come to update them on Danny's condition.

He was completely exhausted and even scolded by Ailana when she entered the room three hours later, starting a rant that was almost worthy to Danny's ones about how unreasonable Steve was.

When she finished her rant the anger and stress was gone and her expression seemed almost guilty. Steve couldn't blame her even if he wanted her to stop and tell him how his partner was. Ailana sat down on a chair beside his bed and faced him while the cousins sat on the couch in the room.

“This whole thing affected me more than I thought it would and I apologize for being unprofessional. Of course I understand your decision to stay put and not resting, Steve. I'm just worried about all of you no matter if it's a gunshot wound or a concussion.”

Steve grabbed her hands and squeezed them gently.

“How is Danny?”

“He is in recovery but needs to be monitored for a while before we can move him into your room. The beating caused three cracked and four broken ribs and his spleen was ruptured so we had to remove it.

He also lost a lot of blood which made it necessary to compensate it with blood transfusions. All in all he will be okay, but he is really weak and I want to keep a close eye on him. We have him on high dose of antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection. The best medicine for him right now is a lot of rest. The same goes for you, so please don't try to sneak out of here and visit him in the middle of the night because my staff has other things to do than chasing you down. As soon as Danny wakes up and his vitals look good, I'll move him in here.”

“Thanks, Ailana.”

“No need to thank me. Get some rest, okay?”, Dr. Keona answered with a smile and lightly tapped on Steve's shoulder before she stood up and walked to the door.

“See you later guys.”

 

Steve was calmer than before but still worried a lot and he was sure this feeling wouldn't completely pass until he could see Danny with his own eyes. He had to wait two days before he got to see his partner because Danny took a while to wake up and Ailana was not completely satisfied with his vitals.

When Danny was brought into Steve's room the SEAL was scared of how pale Danny was and the amount of monitors that were still hooked up to him, not to mention the nasal cannula that supported him with oxygen. Chin and Kono looked also worriedly at their team member and Ailana knew she should calm them down, before they came to wrong conclusions.

“It looks worse than it is and I'm optimistic that we can remove the nasal cannula tomorrow. I just want to keep watching his vitals during the recovery. I know Danny is still a bit pale from the blood loss, but it will get better soon, I promise.”

Steve nodded silently, watching Danny and the IV in his arm that pumped fluids into his body. At this second Chin's phone started ringing and he excused himself to pick up the call outside the room. A minute later he came in and told them that the perp had been arrested and was brought to HQ so the cousins could interrogate him. He had been hiding, but the blood loss had left him unconscious so HPD only needed to pick him up.

“Okay, then I'll leave you alone. Danny woke up a few hours ago so he might be up to talk a bit when he wakes again. Please keep it to a minimum nonetheless. You both still need rest”, Ailana told Steve.

Just as Chin, Kono and Dr. Keona had left the room, Steve got out of his bed and sat on the chair beside Danny's bed.

“I knew you wouldn't listen to her, you big goof”, a weak but clearly amused voice said.

Steve was too perplex to answer, he stared at his partner who blinked tiredly at him.

“You lost the ability to speak when you got hit on the head?”

“No. Why didn't you said you were awake?”

“I don't really feel up to much yet so I preferred pretending I'm asleep. Oh no, I know this face. Please don't do this, babe. Don't blame yourself.”

“It was my fault, Danny. I should've helped you, but I couldn't.”

“It wasn't your fault. Listen, I really think you're reckless and all, but not every time

I end up in the hospital is your fault, Steven. That asshole attacked and injured you.

I wouldn't put my life at risk for anyone, you know that. I interfered because you're important to me, Steve. You got hit pretty badly, I could tell by the smell of your blood and that perp looked like he wanted to kill you.”

“He almost killed you instead”, Steve argued.

“You think this would make me feel better if you died for me? I don't protect you because it's my job, Danny. Well, yes I do but not only because of this. You're my friend, you're Ohana.”

“I know, babe. Come here.”

“What?” Steve looked confused as Danny carefully shifted in the bed to make some space.

“I said come here.”

“Why?”

“I heard Dr. Keona say you should rest and you sitting there is anything but resting and I know you for too long to believe that you will stay in your bed instead of sneaking out of it when you get the chance.”

“That's exactly what Ailana said.”

“See, we're right and by the way you just proved it.”

“I have to admit you have a point.”

“Now stop talking and get in here before I change my mind.”

Steve smiled and joined Danny in his bed. He was afraid to hurt Danny if he put an arm around his lower body so he let his head rest on Danny's shoulder instead, listening to the deep breaths of his partner.

“You smell like antiseptic”, Steve stated and scrunched his nose.

Danny's soft laughter shook Steve slightly and he groaned in discomfort.

“Don't shake. My head hurts.”

“I'm sorry, but do you really think you smell any different?”

Danny tilted his head and looked at Steve who answered with a goofy grin.

“Never mind, it's still comfortable.”

“Yeah it is”, Danny confirmed and gave Steve a light kiss on his temple.

 

Chin and Kono came back for a visit after they had interrogated the perp. It had been revealed that he was one of the arms dealer's brothers that was killed in the combat and wanted revenge. He had followed Steve and Danny after they had left the hospital and found out where Steve lived.

The cousins wanted to inform Steve and Danny about the news but what they saw as they entered the room made them stop and smirk to each other in silent amusement. The two grown-up men were lying together in Danny's bed and even though it was not really cuddling what they were doing it still could be described as very close to it.

“I'm pretty sure, Steve had only waited for us to leave the room”, Kono whispered so she wouldn't wake them.

“Damn right.”

Kono laughed while Chin smiled at Danny who looked at them. Steve grunted lightly and shifted in bed but his eyes stayed close.

“I told him to join me, because if I didn't he would still be sitting on the chair beside the bed”, Danny explained.

“Silence....I'm trying to sleep here.”

The team members couldn't stand still after Steve's muffled speaking and bursted out laughing, which caused Steve to blink sleepily at them.

“Ow”, Danny hissed and carefully put a hand on his side, his face grimaced in pain.

Steve was awake in an instant and reached for Danny's hand, trying to pull it away so he could take a look while Kono said she would call a doctor and Chin came closer.

“Danny, are you okay?” Steve's eyes were wide with fear.

“I'm fine....laughing hurts.”

Steve was not convinced at all and kept watching his partner.

“Just stay still”, Chin calmed Danny and went to the door just as Dr. Keona came in.

“What happened?”

Before Steve could say something, Danny interrupted him.

“I'm okay. My side just hurts a bit because I was laughing. Nothing to worry about.”

Ailana's alarmed look faded and she smiled at Danny.

“Okay, but let me get a look at your ribs nonetheless. You took quite some beating and even though I don't think you've injured yourself, I prefer to confirm it.”

Danny nodded in agreement.

As Ailana stepped closer and slowly pulled Danny's shirt up, she looked at Steve who didn't move an inch.

“May I ask why you are not in your own bed?”

Steve smiled goofy at her as Danny explained that it was his idea and Steve wasn't the one to blame, which was only the half truth as they all knew and Ailana probably guessed as well.

Dr. Keona gently palpated Danny's torso and looked sympathetically at him as he hissed in pain. His side was completely colored in different shades of purple and blue, actually he was one giant bruise and Danny noticed the worried glances of his friends. When he looked up he caught a furious look at Kono that admitted no doubt that she was imagining how to kill the perp who did this to him.

“Your side is still sensitive and I'm afraid you'll have to deal with this for a while longer because it will take some time to heal. Your vitals look good, so we can remove the nasal cannula and I think you can be discharged soon, but keep in mind that you still need a lot of rest once you're home.”

“He can stay at my place. I'll take care of him.”

Danny knew this tone from Steve and that any kind of resistance was futile, but Ailana straightened herself and looked at Steve.

“You gotta be kidding me. You, my friend, have a concussion which means you are not taking care of anyone but being taken care of.”

Steve looked into three amused faces and one that challenged him to object.

“Now you've accomplished to make him put his aneurysm face”, Danny sighed.

Kono stepped in and tried to solve the problem.

“Since half of Five-0 is currently off-duty and needs to be taken care of”, she winked at the boys “what do you think of a sleepover at Steve's house? It's not like we have any cases so Chin and me could use the days off to relax a bit and look after you.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me”, Danny said and looked at Steve.

“Could you please stop inviting people into my house, Danno?”

“What's your problem?”

“My problem is that I have no idea where we should sleep. I have two bedrooms with two beds and one couch, means there's one who has to sleep on the floor.”

“If I don't get this wrong, you two seem to have no problem sleeping together in one bed.” Kono pointed at Danny's hospital bed and smiled cheekily.

“She's got a point, guys”, Ailana laughed.

Danny and Steve faced each other and sighed in unison.

“Okay, we got it.”


	7. Happy End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, lame chapter title but it's true. XD This is the happy end for this fic. My betareader Kamui_kun and I talked about a possible sequel but for now this is complete and I'll move on to other projects with our two boys. Well, CBS' boys... *sigh*  
> How I wish I could call them mine. ^^ 
> 
> Thanks for the kind reviews and everyone who gave kudos or bookmarked this. Seeing this great support always makes my day. ^.^
> 
> Now enjoy reading everyone and I hope you'll like the little fluff in the end. :)

Dr. Keona kept her promise and discharged Danny as soon as it was safe enough for him to leave the hospital. Chin and Kono had picked up the guys and while Kono stopped by at Danny's place so he could grab some clothes and other important stuff for a longer stay at McGarrett's house, Chin and Steve preceded.

“Do you really think you need a bunch of clothes?”, Kono said and looked at Danny who packed two bags.

“I want to make sure I have enough clothes for a long stay, because I'm sure Steve will not let me leave until my bruises are completely gone.”

“I guess you're right.” Kono laughed and took the bags from Danny who wanted to carry them to the car.

“Hey, wonder woman I can carry at least one of them.”

“Not today, brah. Just get into the car and fasten your seat belt.”

Danny shook his head in amusement as he watched Kono carrying the bags without the slightest struggle and smiling at him.

A few minutes later they arrived at Steve's place and before Danny could protest, Kono picked up the bags and walked to the front door.

Chin opened the door and smiled at Danny who muttered that it wasn't his idea to let Kono carry all the stuff, while she walked in and greeted Steve who was sitting on the couch. Chin gently patted Danny's shoulder and whispered to him.

“She wants to help and assist you as much as possible. The happenings of that night really scared her.”

“Me too. It's nice to have you here.”

“We're ohana, Danny”, Chin added with a kind smile.

“What are you waiting for? Come over here.”

Chin and Danny smiled at their friends and joined them on the couch while Kono took the armchair and made herself comfortable.

“So what are we eating for dinner?”

“You're already hungry? It's still 3 PM”, Steve gave Danny a questioning look.

“No, not yet, but why not think about it now?”

“Are we going to order something?”

“How about chinese food?”

“I prefer to eat something that I can pronounce.”

“Pizza?”

“Only if it's without pineapple.”

“You're picky.”

“I'm not. I just have some rules when it comes to food.”

“Some rules? There are more than just some rules. It's like a guide, 'Danno's 100 rules for food'. Maybe you can write a book about it and by the way pineapple is delicious.”

“Oh yeah, what about your control issues? I would read that book if you ever decide to write it.”

“Hey guys, time out. Pizza sounds good and Danny you get yours without pineapple.”

Kono laughed as they silently nodded in agreement.

 

They ate pizza for dinner and even though Steve glanced from time to time at Danny's pineapple-free pizza he stayed quiet.

The first evening ended on the couch and with a movie. Danny fell asleep after the first half and leaned against Steve who let his partner use him as a pillow while silently munching some popcorn Kono had made. The movie was good, but Steve had seen it already and a few minutes before it ended, he dropped off as well. Kono and Chin looked at them and couldn't hold back their soft laughter.

“They are totally exhausted.”

“Yeah, let's get them into bed.”

“Steve? Hey brah, wake up.” Chin gently touched Steve's shoulder and shook him slightly.

“What's wrong”, asked Steve and looked up.

“You fell asleep on the couch. Let's get you up into your bed.”

“Yeah.”

“Careful, Danny is still leaning on you”, Chin laughed and held Steve back who wanted to stand up. Kono woke Danny and helped him up.

A few minutes later they were in Steve's bedroom and the two boys came to rest on the bed. Fortunately all of them had already changed into pants and shirts. Danny was fast asleep in just a minute. Kono was heading for the second bedroom while Chin took the couch.

Chin was the first to wake up in the morning and went out on the Ianai. He changed into his akita form and spent some minutes on the soft grass, while listening to the crashing waves of the ocean. It was peaceful and he had almost dozed off when he heard footsteps inside the house. Without having to take a look he knew it was Kono, because he was used to her soft footsteps, her scent, well everything.

“Good morning cuz. Sorry I didn't mean to disturb you. I'll go and prepare breakfast. Join me when you're ready.”

Chin smiled internally and followed her. He morphed back and put on his clothes then walked to the kitchen and helped her with breakfast.

“I'll go and wake Steve and Danny, in case this wonderful smell haven't already roused them”, Kono laughed and went out of the kitchen.

She came back a few minutes later and told Chin they would come down soon.

 

The day was quiet and peaceful. Steve went to the Ianai for a quick swim, closely watched by Danny who rested in the chair and enjoyed the gentle breeze while talking with Kono who sat beside him. Chin had gone to buy some groceries and other things. They planned to barbecue on the Ianai at the evening.

“Do you miss your wolf form?”

“What's with the sudden question?”, Danny asked surprised.

“I just ask, because I kinda miss being a tiger when I don't morph regularly. I guess you're getting used to it as a part of you and when you don't give it enough space in your life it becomes an urge.”

“I see. So far I'm not missing it, but I think I know the feeling you're talking about. It's like someone is telling me to morph and that I would feel better if I do.”

“You're not feeling good?” Danny could feel Kono's concern more than he saw it because he didn't dare to let his eyes wander off to someone else than Steve who was still in the water. At least he wasn't diving and if Danny wasn't mistaken he seemed to be swimming back to them.

“My ribs still hurt when I move too careless and even though Ailana told me to rest it doesn't help much with the bruises. I feel awfully stiff after lying for too long in the bed.”

“This sucks.” Kono smiled sympathetically at Danny who laughed softly.

“Yeah, it does. It's similar to how I felt after Steve's military morph training.”

“Seriously, military training?”

“He denied it, but I'm pretty sure it was some kind of Navy SEAL training”, Danny replied with a wink and made Kono laugh.

“What's so funny?” Steve joined them and sat down in the grass, gratefully taking the towel Danny handed him.

“Nothing, babe.”

“Do I have to use water torture on you to make you speak?”

“You wouldn't dare.”

“Wanna test me?”, Steve grinned.

“Just wait when I can change again and I'll make sure to bite you where it hurts.”

Steve flinched and held up his hands.

“Okay, you win.”

“You really get along like cats and dogs”, Kono said and laughed as Steve tried to hug Danny who started a rant about what would be waiting for Steve if he even put a drop of water on him.

 

Later in the evening 

Chin had bought a lot of stuff and they were making jokes that the food supplies would last for half an eternity. Steve and Chin were handling the grill while Kono and Danny prepared a salad and other stuff. They sat peacefully outside on the Ianai and enjoyed their dinner.

After they had cleaned up they went inside and prepared to go to bed, Steve and Danny going ahead.

Danny was walking up the stairs as he suddenly tripped and reached for something to hold on to while trying to stop his fall. He grunted in pain as his side protested about the sudden movement and the contact with the stairs.

“Danny!” Steve ran to him and carefully removed Danny's hand that rested protectively on his side.

“Let me take a look. Are you in pain? Did you break something?”

“Yes and no”, Danny answered and winced as Steve palpated his side.

“Stop pushing, you animal. It hurts bad enough without you putting pressure on my bruises.”

“I have to check if you broke a rib again. Stay still.”

“I didn't break anything. Help me up, would you?”

“I said stay still, Danno.”

“And I said, stop that. Ow!”

“It's okay, nothing broken.”

“I told you”, Danny growled in response, but allowed Steve to guide him upstairs.

“Careful, take it slowly.”

When they arrived in the bedroom Steve gently helped Danny to lie on the bed.

“Do you need anything? I can get some pain meds if it hurts too badly. Or do you prefer some ice?”

“Could you please just stop fussing over me that much? You're worse than my mother.”

Steve looked perplex for a second than he nodded.

“Okay, fine. I thought....” Danny looked up at Steve as he suddenly stopped in the middle of the sentence and put a hand on his neck. He shook his head slightly and blinked a few times.

“You're okay?”, Danny asked concerned.

“Yeah, just a bit dizzy.”

“Whoa, watch out babe.”

Danny grabbed Steve's hand as the tall man almost lost his balance.

“Sit down, you look pale.”

Steve did as he was told but he insisted on being fine nonetheless.

“No need to worry about me, Danny. It will pass.”

“Sure. Please let me decide if there is a reason to worry about you, okay? Even when you have been shot you keep saying you're okay so excuse me for not taking your word that seriously.”

“You're using that against me?”

“Of course I do, you goof. You have no idea how to define 'being okay'. Dr. Keona said you have a nasty concussion and should be resting. Instead you're walking around, taking a swim, which worried me half to death by the way and I was afraid to even look away for a second because I thought you would drown if I did and now you picked me up and brought me here. I'm impressed your head haven't shut down yet.”

“You're done?”

“No actually I haven't even started yet, but I'll have mercy on you today. Call me crazy, but I still haven't lost hope yet that one day you'll see how reckless you are and that no matter what people tell you to do, you just can't take care of yourself. One thing's for sure though, one day you'll drive me into madness with your behavior, you damn Super SEAL.”

Steve could only barely stifle his laughter at Danny's rant.

“At least you're up for one of your rants, Danno. That's nice.”

“Hey!” Danny grabbed his partner's shoulders and held him steady when Steve almost tipped over.

Danny was uncomfortably bent as he held Steve secure on the bed, but he knew that he couldn't hold him forever so he called out to Chin and Kono, hoping that they heard him.

Chin entered the room only a few seconds after Danny's call for help and grabbed Steve. Together they managed to maneuver the tense SEAL into the bed.

“What's going on here?”, Kono asked as she joined them.

“He overdid it and started to feel dizzy a few minutes ago”, Danny explained as he carefully sat up and leaned against the headboard.

“Overdid? He seemed fine an hour ago.” Kono gave Danny a questioning look.

“I tripped on the stairs and he fussed over me like a mother hen without taking care of himself. When we got here he swayed and said he felt dizzy.”

“I wasn't swaying.”

“Wait, what?”, Kono asked completely ignoring Steve's protest.

“It was an accident”, Danny explained as Kono stared at him.

“I don't doubt that but you should've been more careful. What did Steve do?”

“Except freaking out?”

“Not funny, Danny”, Kono said and gave him a serious look.

“He helped me upstairs and got me into bed. Then he swayed.”

“I wasn't swaying. I just felt a bit dizzy and it's completely gone now, by the way.”

As if to prove his point Steve got up but it ended with another wave of dizziness and Chin catching him, before he could faceplant on the floor.

“Nice try, kitty cat”, Danny commented with a smile, but poke Steve in the ribs.

“What was that for?”

“That was for you being reckless...again.”

“Okay, stop that. You two are the worst patients ever, bantering all day like an old couple”, Kono interfered, her hands on the hips.

“Danny you should've been more careful with the stairs and let somebody help you. And Steve it's nice that you want to take care of Danny, but Chin and me are here to help you both, so you can heal properly and get your rest. Instead you hurt your ribs again and you got dizzy. You both overdid it. Now stay in bed and sleep like you're supposed to.”

“I have nothing to add to that”, Chin said, smiling at his cousin and leaving the room.

“I'll be back with some ice and pain meds.”

Neither Steve or Danny dared to object so they waited until Kono came back and handed them the items.

They both took their pills and Danny carefully put the ice on his sore ribs as he lay back down.

“Thank you, Kono.”

“It's okay, that's why I'm here. Now get some rest.”

“We promise”, Danny answered and Steve nodded in agreement.

When Kono closed the door behind her and they were alone Steve turned to Danny.

“What's with this look?”, Danny asked.

“You weren't a bit scared of her? Kono scolded us like a mother would do with her children.”

“Do you think we just got grounded?”

“Well, yeah.”

“So what do we do?”

“Climbing out of the window?”

“Animal, that's so typical for you. Let me ask you something. Are reckless things always your first thought or do you calculate first which reckless act has the highest risk? Because seriously, I think that's what you do. The highest risk is barely good enough for you.”

“I'm a SEAL, Danny.”

“This is an explanation but not an excuse.”

Steve couldn't hold back his laughter as Danny gave him one of his looks that always left Steve speechless for a short while.

“So what do you suggest?”

“Well, how about continuing our little thing we started at the hospital?”

“Oh you mean this one”, Steve whispered and got closer to Danny, carefully placing a hand on his partner's hip and letting his head rest on Danny's chest.

“Yeah, that's nice. I could get used to it.”

“Do you think we're like an old couple?”

“Would it upset you?”

“Not really. What about you?”

“Same. Now sleep, babe or Kono will give us another round tomorrow.”

“True.” Steve chuckled lightly.

Just as he wanted to close his eyes he felt the urge to do something. He lifted his head and as Danny looked questioning at him he gave him a gentle kiss.

“Good night, Danno.”

Danny smiled and returned the kiss.

“Good night, my reckless kitty cat.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Fanart for my fanfic 'Shifting View'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3608208) by [Lynn_Minoha (Motoko)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Motoko/pseuds/Lynn_Minoha)




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